An electric power generator consists of two main parts: A stator and a rotor. The stator is generally made of laminated iron or other ferro-magnetic material and contains long slots having a certain depth and in which wire coils are wound in such a fashion to allow electric power to be generated when magnetic fields emanating from the rotor move past the coils. The rotor contains a specific arrangement of magnets, with generally wound armature electro-magnets whose strength is governed by the amount of current flowing in the armature windings. When the rotor spins inside the stator, the moving magnetic fields from the rotor induce a current in the stator windings thus generating what is referred to as electrical power.
The energy required to spin the rotor is typically applied by a drive unit of some kind, such as an electrical drive motor, diesel or other fossil fuel motor, steam turbine or the like. At typical efficiencies, only 20% of the energy input by the drive motor is devoted to creating electrical power.
The remaining 80% is dissipated by magnetic drag, or braking forces, that develop between the rotor and the stator. When current is applied to a load from a conventional generator, a magnetic force or braking force is created by the flow of the load current in the generator conductors that opposes the rotation of the generator armature. If the load current in the generator conductors increases, the drag associated with the reaction force increases. More force must be applied to the armature as the load increases to keep the armature from slowing. Increasing drag and increasing load current leads to decreasing conversion efficiency and can eventually lead to destructive consequences for generator equipment. The generators and structures in accordance with embodiments described herein are designed and constructed such that these destructive drag forces are eliminated.
As noted, an ordinary electric motor consumes large amounts of electric power due to electromagnetic drag. The greater the mechanical load, the more power is consumed and the greater is the electromagnetic drag. Electric motors are designed today to consume approximately 746 watts of electric power for each horsepower produced. It is estimated that if the electromagnetic drag forces were removed, the electric motor would be significantly more efficient, such as potentially 400-500% more efficient.